“Uber Technologies Inc. will one day join the likes of Microsoft Corp. by accepting Bitcoin as a payment option on its app. Dara Khosrowshahi, the chief executive officer, said Uber will accept cryptocurrencies “at some point” in the future. “This isn’t the right point,” he said Friday in an interview on Bloomberg Television. Khosrowshahi cited the cost of exchanges, which can carry high transaction fees, and the environmental impact of digital mining on the energy grid as reasons for why Uber has not yet incorporated the technology.”

“Rapidly growing crypto platform engages Worldpay from FIS as a blockchain validator and will utilize the company’s payment gateway and global acquiring services to support continued global expansion.Worldpay will process card-based purchases and sales of cryptocurrencies for Crypto.com.Worldpay is an experienced Card-to-Crypto processor, which provides services for 4 of the top 5 cryptocurrency exchanges.”

“Coinbase is trying to establish itself as a mainstream gateway to the world of cryptocurrency, a place to routinely deposit paychecks, expense reimbursements and tax refunds. On Thursday, the company started a direct deposit program with the software company TurboTax to send state and federal tax refunds to Coinbase accounts, with the option to automatically convert dollars into cryptocurrency, the DealBook newsletter reports .”

“An agreement to remove a provision in a U.S. House of Representatives bill giving the Treasury secretary the ability to block international crypto transactions has been reached, according to Jerry Brito, the executive director of Coin Center, an industry think tank that lobbied against the provision…A provision in the America COMPETES Act , a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week , would have allowed the Treasury secretary to block or “impose conditions” on transactions, should the official find that the transaction or the accounts involved are engaged in money laundering. The overall bill is aimed at spurring economic competitiveness with China.”

“The IMF last week urged El Salvador to stop recognising bitcoin as legal tender, reiterating its warning that official adoption of the digital asset last year presented “large risks” for the stability and integrity of the country’s financial system. Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador — which is seeking more than $1bn in financing from the IMF — plans to raise money by selling bonds linked to the world’s biggest cryptocurrency. The scheme has drawn criticism from some of the international investors that own debt already issued by the government.”

“Zhao’s dealings with the Mediterranean island fit a wider pattern, a Reuters investigation has found. In public, Zhao repeatedly said he welcomed regulatory oversight and Binance lauded its anti-money laundering programme. But at the same time, Binance was withholding information about its finances and corporate structure from regulators, at least eight of whom have warned consumers about the risks of using the exchange. Binance also maintained weak checks on customers, despite concerns raised by senior company figures, and acted against its own compliance department’s recommendations.”

“Russia’s central bank on Thursday proposed banning the use and mining of cryptocurrencies on Russian territory, citing threats to financial stability, citizens’ wellbeing and its monetary policy sovereignty. The move is the latest in a global cryptocurrency crackdown as governments from Asia to the United States worry that privately operated and highly volatile digital currencies could undermine their control of financial and monetary systems.”

“Cryptocurrency ATMs, one visible reminder of Singaporeans’ rising appetite for digital tokens, are being closed down as the city-state moves to dramatically limit consumer marketing of crypto. Daenerys & Co. , Singapore’s biggest operator of the machines, ceased its services to comply with the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s request, the company said late Tuesday.”

“Almost a quarter of small businesses in nine countries around the world plan to accept digital currencies as a form of payment in 2022, while 13% of consumers in those countries expect retail stores to begin offering crypto payments this year and beyond, according to a survey by Visa Inc (V.N) . The survey of 2,250 small business owners across nine countries including the United States, Brazil, Singapore and Canada suggests cryptocurrencies may be starting to go mainstream as a means of payment.”

“NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a global enterprise technology provider, today announced the completion of the previously announced transaction to acquire LibertyX , a leading cryptocurrency software provider. LibertyX is a strong strategic fit for NCR because it accelerates NCR’s ability to rapidly deliver a complete digital currency solution to its customers, including the ability to buy and sell cryptocurrency, conduct cross-border remittance, and accept digital currency payments across digital and physical channels.”

“The Central Bank of Iran, or CBI, and the Ministry of Trade have reached an agreement to link the CBI’s payment platform to a trade system allowing businesses to settle payments using cryptocurrencies, the Mehr News Agency reported Monday. Alireza Peyman-Pak, Iran’s deputy minister of Industry, Mine and Trade and head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization, or TPO, said that the new payment mechanism is expected to be finalized “within the next two weeks.””

“Cryptocurrency lenders are going to be able to start checking credit reports. TransUnion , one of the three major U.S. consumer credit reporting firms, will let consumers give blockchain companies access to their personal credit data through the security firm Spring Labs’ ky0x Digital Passport.”

“The global fintech giant, NIUM, announces its partnership with Alchemy Pay (ACH), a fiat-cryptocurrency gateway solutions provider. The partnership represents major progress for Alchemy Pay who will now leverage NIUM’s huge global coverage and swiftly pay out funds to clients at significantly lowered costs in the 190+ countries and territories where NIUM operates. In addition, NIUM has 11 licences in regions such as the United Kingdom, Europe, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia, which will enable Alchemy Pay to extend its reach into these key financial markets.”

“As indicated by The Block Research’s 2022 Digital Asset Outlook report , the aggregate supply of stablecoins has increased from $29 billion at the start of 2021 to more than $140 billion. That growth benefited a swathe of stablecoins, including tether (USDT) and USD coin (USDC), which is managed by a consortium that includes Circle and Coinbase.”

“Scams were once again the largest form of cryptocurrency-based crime by transaction volume, with over $7.7 billion worth of cryptocurrency taken from victims worldwide. That represents a rise of 81% compared to 2020, a year in which scamming activity dropped significantly compared to 2019, in large part due to the absence of any large-scale Ponzi schemes. That changed in 2021 with Finiko, a Ponzi scheme primarily targeting Russian speakers throughout Eastern Europe, netting more than $1.1 billion from victims.”

“Between January and July alone, $681 million was exploited in major cryptocurrency thefts, hacks and fraud, according to intelligence firm CipherTrace.   This year overall, many of the most notable hacks involved decentralized finance, or DeFi, projects , with more than $10 billion lost to DeFi theft and fraud, a November report from blockchain analytics firm Elliptic shows.”

“The U.K. advertising watchdog banned seven cryptocurrency ads on Wednesday and said they must not appear again. The Advertising Standards Authority said the ads were “banned for irresponsibly taking advantage of consumers’ inexperience and for failing to illustrate the risk of the investment.”   The banned ads included a website and Twitter post from a pizza chain as well as a digital poster from a crypto exchange.”

“Major cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com continues expanding its crypto on-ram and off-ramp solutions with a new partnership with the California state-chartered bank Silvergate. Crypto.com announced on Tuesday that it is working with Silvergate to allow institutional clients to deposit and withdraw from the exchange using the U.S. dollar (USD). According to the announcement, bank transfers to and from the Crypto.com exchange are now available for institutional investors. With the help of Silvergate, institutional clients can transfer USD directly between their bank accounts and Crypto.com with no fees.”

“Embily USA, the American arm of European fintech company Embily, has joined Visa’s Fintech Fast Track program. Embily’s refillable debit card, which can be topped up with bitcoin and used to pay for goods and services worldwide, will launch in the U.S. next year…Embily will be available to U.S. customers as a physical or digital prepaid card that can be loaded with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The funds are then liquidated using a third-party exchange, after which they are ready to be spent anywhere Visa is accepted, online and offline. Users can also withdraw cash from any ATM with their debit card.”

“…Intuitively, a technology that allows one person to send money to another without an intermediary could make remittances quicker and cheaper. There are still huge barriers, from the wild volatility of many cryptocurrencies to the complexities of buying them in one country and then converting them back to traditional cash in another. Bitso, a Mexico City-based crypto trading platform, says it’s making a dent. It estimates it’s helping money transmitters move around 2.5% of the more than $40 billion in remittances flowing across the border from the U.S. to Mexico annually.”

“Blockchain startup Figure Technologies Inc. and other firms held talks with U.S. regulators about how to issue a stablecoin that satisfies watchdogs amid deep Washington skepticism over the fast-growing corner of the cryptocurrency market. Senior officials of the Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. met last week with Figure and its partners in an emerging crypto effort known as the USDF Consortium, according to people familiar with the meetings who requested anonymity because the discussions were private. Spokespeople for the agencies declined to comment.”

“MercadoLibre Inc. is stepping up its foray into the crypto world through its digital payments app.  MercadoPago customers in Brazil will soon be able to buy, sell and hold cryptocurrencies using their digital wallets, as the largest Latin American company by market capitalization looks to expand its lineup of financial products. The possibility became available to a small group of clients earlier in November and will be rolled out more broadly in the coming weeks, according to Tulio Oliveira, a MercadoPago vice president.”

“The Justice Department’s seizure of $6.1 million in funds tied to alleged ransom payments, announced alongside fresh sanctions against a cryptocurrency exchange and arrests of alleged hackers, marked an escalation in Washington’s attempt to weaken hacking groups that have disrupted U.S. businesses. The retrieval of funds shows how victim companies’ cooperation with law enforcement can sometimes pay off, U.S. officials said Monday, while sanctions will create additional questions for U.S. businesses faced with hackers’ ransom…”